


cat slippers at midnight

by jojotxt



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, M/M, theres side bokuaka if u squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 18:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6126370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jojotxt/pseuds/jojotxt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>kuroo wears comfy slippers and makeup and kenma is just a disgruntled librarian. let him live.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cat slippers at midnight

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know where this came from like i was driving to get takeout and i thought about kuroo wearing fuzzy cat slippers and it went downhill from there.  
> kuroo wears makeup bc he can and akaashi's gender is a mystery  
> i worked at a library for like half a summer so this is probably not an accurate depiction of the Library Experience™  
> enjoy this

Working at a university library-slash-coffee shop was as glamourous as it sounded. (Which was, unfortunately, not). The library was open twenty-four-seven, while the coffee shop tucked into the corner opened at five every day, closing at twelve am. Each day, disgruntled college students would trudge into the open space and make use of the free wifi and quiet place to work. During the day, the people weren’t so bad, but it was at night when the people were truly terrible, with their shitty attitudes and weird clothing choices.

And Kenma just had to be nocturnal. Ah, the bittersweet ways of life.

Still, even during the dark early mornings (from eleven pm to four am), Kenma found solace in the stacks upon stacks of literary classics. He took it upon himself to read every single book the university had to offer when he started working at the library part-time. He’d made a pretty good dent in the selection his first year, but once second year started and the never ending wave of projects and homework assignments washed over him like it was high tide, Kenma really hadn’t had time to crack open a book and immerse himself into a story like he used to.

It was a pretty calm evening as far as library duties went, that night. Kenma had just finished restocking books that had been returned that day, and he was currently sitting behind the checkout desk, reading the yellowed pages of _Pride and Prejudice_. His fingers brushed against the slightly crinkled pages, tracing the letters as he read.

> _Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own coldly and said, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt_ me _; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.”_

Kenma huffed. _What an asshole._

He continued reading, turning the weathered pages gently as to not tear them (which, unfortunately, was the fate that many of the older books received due to uncaring hands and rough usage). He was so absorbed with the pages of the novel, that he didn’t notice the person standing in front of the counter, awkwardly shifting around, and looking at Kenma nervously.

The person coughed into their hand, making Kenma’s head shoot up quickly and his hands slam the book shut.

Kenma observed the person quickly (quickly, but enough to judge). Dark, messy hair. Smeared makeup all around their dark eyes. Strong jawline. Kind of buff, but kind of a twink too. Messy clothes that looked like they just shuffled out of bed. And.

Fuzzy cat slippers.

How cute.

The person coughed again, and Kenma averted his gaze. “My apologies. What can I help you with?” he asked in a soft voice.

“Just wanna check this out.” Deep voice. A book was handed to Kenma, and he glanced briefly over the cover. _To Kill a Mockingbird_. Kenma hummed and scanned the barcode on the book. _Good choice_.

He stamped the return date in the back of the book and handed it back to the stranger. “You have two weeks to return or renew. Have a nice night.” He bowed as the stranger walked away, noting the way his slippers slightly squeaked along the wooden floor.

The stranger nodded as he walked out the double doors, bringing in the slight chill of the nighttime air. Kenma shivered and huddled his jacket closer and sat back on the chair he’d been sitting on.

> _Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet protested against any description of finery. She was therefore obliged to seek another branch of the subject, and related, with much bitterness of spirit and some exaggeration, the shocking rudeness of Mr. Darcy._

* * *

The next night, Kenma was once again curled up in the chair behind the desk, reading the same book. This time, due to the impending drop of temperatures, he was nursing a hot chocolate that Yaku had made for him before closing up the coffee shop that night. Kenma had quite a distaste for coffee, so hot chocolate and caffeine pills were the only things getting him through the day.

Kenma hummed as he carefully flipped the next page of the book. He felt the rush of cold air, a telltale sign that someone had just walked in.

“Welcome,” Kenma called out lightly, letting the person know that he was there if they needed him.

The person didn’t respond, but Kenma could hear a chair scraping against the floor, so he assumed they were there for some late-night or last-minute studying. It wasn’t surprising, really. Many students took advantage of the library for the long rows of tables and chairs that lined around the book stacks. There were even a few weary stragglers there before the new arrival. Kenma’s favorite spot to take a break when he was feeling tired was the table by the windows, where he could see across the courtyard and look at the fountain as it flowed graceful, water splashing in the darkness. It was nice. Peaceful.

Kenma sighed and went back to his book. 

> _"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. –Your mother will never see you again if you do_ not _marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you_ do _.”_
> 
> _Elizabeth could not help but smile at such a conclusion of such a beginning; but Mrs. Bennet, who had persuaded herself that her husband regarded the affair as she wished, was excessively disappointed._

One of the students at a nearby tables sneezed loudly, causing Kenma to jump and drop his book (and ultimately, lose his place). He cursed quietly and picked up his book, only to be met with dark, messy hair and equally dark eyes.

_What is with their hair?_

“I was wondering if you had any books on horned owls.”

A major shift from the previous night—aside from the seemingly untamable bedhead—the stranger today was wearing perfectly lined eyeliner, coming up to a small tip near the edge of their eyebrow. Kenma could make out the hint of mascara on their lashes, too. Instead of crawling-out-of-bed clothes, they had decided to actually try dressing appropriately, with a long shirt (ending about their mid-thigh), a soft-looking cardigan, tights, and…

Fuzzy cat slippers.

“You okay?”

Kenma jumped and hesitantly made eye contact with the person, flushing a bit when they gave him a knowing smile. “Um…” _Wait what did they ask me_ _again?_ “Wha?” _Very eloquent, Kozume. Very eloquent._

The stranger just laughed and tilted their head. “I asked if you had any books on horned owls.”

“O-oh!” Kenma nodded, hurrying out from behind the desk. “Yes. They would be in the nature and wildlife section…” He headed over in that area, hearing the soft padded footsteps of tall, dark, and kitty slippers behind him.

“Are you looking for a specific topic or…? Um…” Kenma bent down, fingers hovering over the spines of the books. “There’s _Wild Bird Guide: Great Horned Owl_. But we also have, if this would rather suite your taste, _Owls: Fun Facts for Kids_.” Kenma realized how insulting that sounded and he flushed nervously. “Um…”

A deep laugh reverberated behind him. “I’ll have the first one. Although, I might take you up on that second title sometime. It sounds like a real thriller.”

Kenma huffed out a sigh of relief. _I didn’t offend them. That’s good._ He cleared his throat and slid the book off the shelf. “Well. Um. Here you go.” He held out the book shakily, avoiding any eye contact with the person in front of him.

Long fingers plucked the book from his hands. “Thanks.”

Kenma bowed quickly. “You’re welcome.” He slid off in the direction of the counter, desperate to get back to his book and calm down his racing heart.

_Calm down. Just calm down. They weren’t offended. You didn’t mess up. Deep breaths. In… out… in… out. Control yourself, control yourself, control yourself…_

“I’d like to check this out.”

Kenma choked down a gasp and slowly took a book from a young, pretty girl, who looked just as thrilled to be there as any normal student was. He nodded and scanned the barcode quickly and stamped the due date. “T-two weeks,” he managed to wheeze out.

The girl nodded, pushed up her glasses, and briskly walked away, her dark hair trailing behind her.

Kenma took some more deep breaths, slumping back into his chair and curling back up with his book.

 _“What do you mean, Mr. Bennet, by talking this way? You promised me to_ insist _upon her marrying him.”_

Kenma felt his breath catch back up to him, and felt his heart slow down to a dull thud. _There you go. You’re okay. No anxiety attacks in the library. Good job._

> _“My dear,” replied her husband, ‘I have two small favours to request. First, that you will allow me the free use of my understanding on the present occasion; and secondly, of my room. I shall be glad to have the library to myself as soon as may be.”_
> 
> _Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband, did Mrs. Bennet—_

“Ahem.”

Kenma looked up, just as startled as he was before. There was Cat Slippers (right then, Kenma deemed them as such), holding out a book on great horned owls.

“I’d love it if I could check this out,” Cat Slippers grinned, and Kenma nodded taking the book from them. When he saw the title of the book, he could feel his entire face flush an unnatural shade of scarlet.

_Owls: Fun Facts for Kids._

Kenma forced down a cough and quickly checked out the book, handing it back to Cat Slippers.

Cat Slippers grinned. “Thanks, Kenma-chan.” Then they walked away before Kenma could ask ‘ _how the hell do you know my name’_ , leaving the library and letting in the chill of the nighttime air.

Kenma looked at the spot where Cat Slippers had been standing and slumped against the counter, putting his head in his hands and groaning.

_Good going Kozume._

* * *

Lucky for Kenma, Cat Slippers didn’t come back to the library for a few days. He didn’t know if he would be able to face the impending embarrassment of confronting them again.

 _Maybe they won’t come back, and I won’t be subjected to the torture of having to look at their smug face when they realize I’m completely and utterly embarrassed._ But then, Kenma realized that Cat Slippers had _yet_ to return either books they checked out, and groaned. _They would have to be back eventually._

“You okay?”

Kenma glanced over at Akaashi, who was staring at him with a gaze mixed with boredom and slight worry.

Akaashi was Kenma’s sometimes-assistant. They came in whenever they felt like it (mostly during the day shift, although there were some night shifts that Akaashi took on, like that night). Akaashi was nice to have around, especially since they were quiet and reserved, much like Kenma. They were a welcome presence to have in the library.

Kenma shrugged. “Kind of.”

Akaashi hummed to let him know that they were listening.

Kenma sighed, not really wanting to talk about it, but giving into Akaashi’s advancements easily. “This… person came in a few nights ago and asked for a certain book and I… I don’t know… I just made a fool out of myself and it…” He bit his lip and looked off to the side, not wanting to meet Akaashi’s gaze.

“Made you feel anxious?”

“Yeah… something like that.”

Akaashi hummed, and Kenma knew that was the end of that conversation. But something was still bugging Kenma, and he couldn’t just let it go.

“He was wearing the most peculiar—”

“Ah, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi interrupted, looking over at someone who just walked in. “What are you doing here?”

Kenma couldn’t see the person, but he could hear a deep voice saying, “Just returning these two books I borrowed, uh…” Kenma’s eyes widened because _he knew that voice oh god it’s them_ , and he ducked underneath the counter, not wanting to be seen by Cat Slippers—or, Kuroo.

Akaashi gave him a startled glance, but Kenma gave them a Look in response, so Akaashi kept their mouth shut and turned their attention back to Kuroo.

“Say, Akaashi… Do you know if Kenma—uh, short blond hair? You can see his brown roots?—uh, anyway I was just wondering if you know if he is working tonight or not.”

Kenma’s eyes widened. _Why is he asking about me does he really remember me that well is this because I indirectly insulted him oh my god what if he wants to hurt me or kill me what if—_

“Actually, he’s not tonight. Sorry, Kuroo-san.”

Kenma could hear a shuffle from above, which he assumed was the book exchange.

“Ah, it’s okay, Akaashi. Thanks anyway.”

“Is there anything you’d like me to pass on to him?”

Kenma’s eyes widened, and he bit his lip, waiting for a response.

“Just… tell him that it’s okay. What he said. I wasn’t offended or anything, I guess…” Then there was the telltale squeak of Kuroo’s cat slippers padding against the wooden floor. The room got cooler as the doors opened and suddenly, he and Akaashi were alone.

“Do you want to tell me what that was about?” Akaashi said from above him.

Kenma groaned and curled into a ball. “Leave me alone to die.”

* * *

It was on a rare day of Kenma not actually being at the front desk that he and Kuroo officially met.

Akaashi was handling the checkout desk for Kenma, while he took on the task of re-shelving returned books. It was a peaceful night; not many students were there and the loudest noise in the room was Akaashi’s typing on the desk computer and the squeak of the book cart Kenma was towing around. The hum of the heating system was a nice background noise to soothe Kenma’s nerves.

Kenma took out the next book from the cart. “ _Frankenstein_ …” Kenma mumbled as he looked for the author’s name within the rows of books. “Shelley, Shelley, Shelley…”

He slid the book into its rightful place and stood back up to retrieve the next book. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw none other than Kuroo looking down at him, smiling wryly.

Kenma let out a shaky sigh and pushed up his reading glasses. “I-is there something I can help you with?”

Kuroo blinked in surprise and bit his lip. “Yeah, uh…” He looked to the side and then back down at Kenma before bowing slightly. “My name is Kuroo Tetsurou.”

Kenma’s eyes widened. “Um… That’s… nice?” He really didn’t know how to respond to such a formal greeting.

Kuroo looked at him and laughed nervously. “You know, this would usually be the part where you tell me _your_ name…”

“But you already know it, don’t you?” Kenma said dryly, picking up the next book off the cart.

“Ah… touché… but—”

“How do you even _know_ my name?” Kenma inquired before sliding the book in its proper place.

“Nametag.”

“Oh.” Kenma looked down at his shirt and flushed with embarrassment as he realized that, _yes he did indeed have a nametag no wonder Kuroo new his name._

“I still want to properly meet you, though,” Kuroo said softly, hesitantly.

Kenma looked at Kuroo through his peripheral vision and bit his lip. _Well, why not?_ He stood up, wincing when he heard his knees crack like an old man’s. He looked up at Kuroo and titled his head slightly. “My name is Kozume Kenma. Pleasure to meet you, Kuroo.”

Kuroo gave a wide grin; it was almost blinding. “Nice to meet you _officially_ , Kenma-chan.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Kozume-chan?”

“No.”

“Ken-chan?”

Kenma glared up at Kuroo. “Just Kenma is fine.” He huffed and walked away from Kuroo, dragging the cart with him. But before he could get even a few feet, a warm hand grasped around his wrist. Kenma flinched, and the hand was immediately gone.

“Hey…” Kenma turned around and saw Kuroo giving him a pitiful look. “Look, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything.”

Kenma blinked up at him and shrugged. “Whatever. It’s fine. Just… no “-chans”, okay? Just call me Kenma.”

Kuroo smiled. “Right. See you, then, Kenma.” He swiveled around and walked away quickly, his cat slippers slightly squeaking (as always).

Kenma looked down at the floor and tried to force down the smile on his face. 

> _“You must decide for yourself,” said Elizabeth, “and if upon mature deliberation, you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters is more than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you by all means to refuse him.”_

* * *

_How have I not finished this book already?_

Kenma ran his finger gently over the edge of the book and looked up to glare at one Kuroo Tetsurou, who was grinning at him deviously, while his… animated friend—who Kenma had deemed Owl Brain— was talking excitedly next to him.

“And so then Akaashi was like,” Owl Brain’s wide smile dropped to a serious expression, and his voice went soft, as if to imitate Akaashi, “‘Bokuto-san, your test scores seem to be improving; keep up the good work.’” His sunny demeanor returned. “Do you think they were flirting with me, dude? I was kind of getting some of _those_ vibes from them, like you know the vibes that Oikawa was talking about when he was talking about Iwa-chan? _Those_ vibes. They were _coming on_ to me, Kuroo!”

_Distractions._

Kuroo’s gaze slid to Bokuto, and he gave a lazy smile. “I think they were just complimenting you, bro.”

“Exactly! They _never_ compliment me! Do you think they’re… _in love_ with me?” Bokuto gasped and grabbed at his hair, looking up at the ceiling. “It makes total sense! The way they nod when I ask a question… The way they sigh whenever I visit their dorm… They’re head over _heels_ for me!”

_Distractions..._

Kenma sighed and looked back down at his book while Kuroo tried to explain that while _yes there is a possibility Akaashi might have a crush on you I don’t think those can compensate as reasons for them to be._  

> _They were within twenty yards of each other, and so abrupt was his appearance, that it was impossible to avoid his sight. Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest blush._

Kenma jolted at the sound of Bokuto’s annoying laughter and lifted his head up to look at the two troublemakers. Kuroo had Bokuto’s head in a lock and was ruffling up his hair, making Bokuto squeal like a little girl.

He huffed. “You know,” he mumbled. “It is…” he checked the clock on the wall. “Two in the morning. You are the only ones in here, and you’re not doing anything of importance.”

Kuroo gave Kenma a lazy smile, his lip gloss shining in the low light. He held up his index finger. “Ah, but we _are_ doing something of _absolute_ importance, my dear Kenma.”

Kenma gave him a dry stare. “And what would that be,” he muttered.

Bokuto gave a toothy grin and locked his arm around Kuroo’s shoulder. “We’re keeping you company! That’s what BFFLs do!”

“I didn’t ask for this,” Kenma said darkly.

“Yes, but we can tell that you enjoy our company!”

Kenma huffed. “Yes. As much as I enjoy a severe migraine.” He glared down at his book, as if it were its fault for bringing the two idiots into the library.

“Ouch, Kenma,” Kuroo said in a mock-hurt voice. “You wound me. I thought you thoroughly enjoyed the liveliness that I bring into the library!”

Kenma glared at him. “Ever since we first ‘met’, you’ve been nothing but a nuisance,” he said with no bite.

Kuroo smiled. “I know what you _really_ think of me Kenma.” He tipped his head back in a dramatic way and sighed. “You are unconditionally and irrevocably in love with me!”

“Don’t quote _Twilight_ at me,” Kenma huffed, his cheeks warming up. “And what are you still doing here? Go back to your dorms.” He glanced up briefly. “Don’t you have a stat test in the morning?”

It was almost comical how both Bokuto and Kuroo’s eyes widened at the harsh truth spoken by Kenma. As if they were in synch, they both stood up quickly and rushed toward the door. Kenma tried not to smile when Kuroo nearly tripped over his cat slippers.

“Shit I forgot!” Bokuto hollered as Kuroo waved goodbye, claiming that he’ll see Kenma tomorrow.

Once the storm had passed and it was blessedly quiet in the library once again, Kenma sighed and slumped back into his chair, fiddling with the pages of his book.

> _He absolutely started, and for a moment seemed immoveable from surprise; but shortly recovering himself, advanced towards the party, and spoke to Elizabeth, if not in terms of perfect composure, at least of perfect civility._

Kenma sighed and shut the book softly and closed his eyes, listening to the ticking of the clock.

_“You are unconditionally and irrevocably in love with me!”_

Kenma opened his eyes and huffed. “You wish.”

* * *

“I brought you something.”

Kenma didn’t even bother looking up at the perpetrator, recognizing Kuroo’s voice instantly. “What do you want?”

He heard a laugh and he looked up to see Kuroo smiling down at him and holding out a cup of what Kenma assumed to be coffee.

He glanced down at the cup and then back at Kuroo’s face and said blandly, “I don’t drink coffee.”

Kuroo smiled. “Yeah, I know. Yaku told me. That’s why I had him make you a hot chocolate.” He motioned in the direction of the coffee shop, which was still open. Kenma blinked owlishly, before taking the offered drink.

“Thanks.”

Kuroo grinned and leaned against the counter, taking a sip of his own coffee as he did. “No problem, kitten.”

Kenma flushed. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

“And I told you to stop insulting my hair, but I guess neither of us can get what we want.”

Kuroo only laughed at the glare that was sent his way, and hummed. He set his coffee down and rummaged through his bag, pulling out a light novel, and began reading it, still standing by the checkout desk.

Kenma glanced at Kuroo, observing the way the unflattering light of the library made Kuroo’s under eyes look darker and how his face was redder in one area, due to a colony of zits making their home on his face. His hair was even messier than usual, and his clothes were wrinkled as if they were just sitting in a pile of clean (or dirty) clothes. Yet, even with all of that…

 _He’s still so freaking hot what the hell._ Kenma balled up his hands into fists and took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on what he was doing. 

> _She could neither wonder nor condemn, but the belief of his self-conquest brought nothing consolatory to her bosom, afforded no palliation of her distress. It was, on the contrary, exactly calculated to make her understand her own wishes; and never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be in vain._

Kuroo cleared his throat, and Kenma glanced up to see Kuroo looking down at him, biting his lip in worry. “I… uh…” He looked over to the side and licked his lips. He looked back at Kenma. “I have a question for you.”

“Okay.”

“I want to… read a certain… kind of book.”

Kenma raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“A-about… uh… L… lo—you know what, never mind; it’s stupid,” Kuroo laughed awkwardly.

“No, go on; I won’t judge.” That was kind of a lie; Kenma _would_ judge, just not verbally.

Kuroo cracked a nervous grin. “Do you have… books on like… romance?”

Kenma internally snorted. “We have romance _novels_ if that’s what you mean?”

“N-no um…” Kuroo coughed. “I mean, like, books with…y’know… dating advice?”

Kenma blinked up at him and bit his lip. He tried to suppress the smile that was making its way onto his face, but it was in vain. He used a hand to cover up the laughter that was slightly shaking him.

“Hey, you said you wouldn’t judge!” Kuroo gave him a betrayed pout.

“S-sorry,” Kenma said through tiny laughs. “But, uh, I think you’d be better off looking under the cover of a teen magazine at the convenience store down the street.”

Kuroo smiled gently, his tension seeming to melt away. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Thanks, Kenma.”

Kenma gave a small smile. “You’re welcome.” A small part of Kenma wondered why Kuroo would be asking him about dating advice, and an even _smaller_ part was hopeful that…

Never mind.

“You know, you’re pretty great, Kenma…”

Kenma looked up and met Kuroo’s eyes, almost melting under the intense gaze. His heart fluttered and he felt his cheeks get warm. _What is this?_ He tried to hide his nervousness by biting his lip and saying, “You’re pretty great too, Kuro.”

Kenma could hear a hitch in Kuroo’s breath and next thing he knew, there was a pair of soft, glossed lips on his cheek.

He felt his face heat up and he looked up at Kuroo in surprise, who seemed just as confused as he did.

_What just happened?_

Kuroo’s face was cherry red. He flailed his arms around before nearly yelling, “I… um… I need to… leave!” he squeaked out before fleeing the library.

Kenma was left there, standing in a daze. Slowly, he brought his hand up to the cheek that Kuroo had kissed, and felt his mouth curl upwards before he could stop himself.

* * *

Kuroo hadn’t shown up to the library in a week. Usually, it wouldn’t bother Kenma, but after his last visit, Kenma was worried that he may have done something to offend Kuroo or scare him away.

_This is what you do all the time you push people away you’re so needy you’re awful why are you like this you should just stop—_

“Kenma-san.”

Akaashi’s voice drove Kenma out of his daze, and he looked over at his assistant. “Yes?”

Akaashi gestured over to a full cart of books. “You seem kind of out of it. Why don’t you work on shelving; I can man the desk.” They gave Kenma a small smile. “You look like you need a break.”

Kenma nodded and gave Akaashi a grateful smile. “Yeah, thanks.” He headed over to where the cart was and took out the first book. _Moby Dick._ He sighed and wheeled his way to the fiction section, looking for the right place to put it.

While going through the motions of re-shelving books, Kenma started thinking about Kuroo.

It wasn’t like they knew each other very well; they had only been… friends? Acquaintances? No… definitely more than that… for a little over a month, but for Kenma, it felt like he had known Kuroo his whole life. It was like Kuroo understood what Kenma was thinking without having to ask him anything. Kuroo gave him silence when he wanted it (unless he with Bokuto, of course), and he always sat somewhere in the library that was near Kenma, as if he were keeping an eye on him. He had definitely become a most welcome presence in Kenma’s life than most people had, and somehow seeing him show up every night just to talk to or be near Kenma made him feel really… happy? It made him feel all warm inside, and whenever Kuroo would smile at him, Kenma felt his heartbeat quicken and _oh my god_.

Kenma dropped the book he was holding and crumpled to the ground.

_This can’t be happening no oh my god. No no no no no no…_

Kenma recalled all the signs. The way he would always flush whenever Kuroo looked at him, the way Kuroo’s smile made Kenma want to smile, the way he just _captivated_ Kenma, from the moment he saw him, with his messy hair and smudged eyeliner and rumpled clothes and absolutely _stupid yet adorable_ fuzzy cat slippers.

He thought about Kuroo, and the soft way he said Kenma’s name.

_“You are unconditionally and irrevocably in love with me!”_

Kenma groaned and pressed his face into the palms of his hands.

_I wish you weren’t right._

* * *

Kenma was glad Kuroo hadn’t shown up, actually. How are you supposed to act around someone you just figured out you have a crush on? Kenma wasn’t good in normal social situations at all, so just the _thought_ of talking to Kuroo made Kenma forget how to breathe.

What would he even _say_ to Kuroo? How would he talk? How would he even _act_ around Kuroo?

> _“A man who has once been refused! How could I ever be foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love?”_

Kenma looked off to the side, his elbow resting against the counter and his mouth covered by his hand _._

It was a quiet night. There was no one in the library except him.

He sighed buried his face in his arms, shutting his eyes. _I’m so bored._

“Kenma.”

Kenma’s whole body froze, and he could feel his hands shaking. _No._ Of _course_ Kuroo would come right after Kenma’s not-so-mini revelation that he had a thing for him and his weird cat slippers.

“Kenma.”

Kenma bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. _Maybe if I pretend to be sleeping he’ll go away._

“I know you’re awake Kenma.”

Kenma sighed and slowly lifted his head so his eyes were trained on Kuroo’s. “What,” he muttered. “I’m very busy.”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything about there being literally no one else in the library except for them. Instead, he said, “I’d like to check something out.”

“Oh.” Kenma felt relieved, but at the same time… disappointed. _I guess I’m really just the librarian to him…_

“I’d like to,” Kuroo coughed. “Check out _you_. I mean… check you out oh goddammit…”

Kenma didn’t say anything for a few moment. Or minutes. He stared at Kuroo with a deadpan expression while Kuroo looked at him with apprehension and slight worry.

“What.”

Kuroo groaned and slumped against the counter. He hit his head a few times. “I knew Bokuto’s pickup lines wouldn’t work,” he grumbled. He lifted his head and rubbed at his face. “I’m sorry, Kenma. Pretend I didn’t say that.”

Kenma swallowed thickly and bit his lip. “No.”

“Wha?”

Kenma averted his gaze. “If you want to check out something, it has to be returned by two weeks.”

“Wh…”

Kenma gave him a hard stare. “Two weeks.”

Kuroo gave a shy smile. “And what if I don’t ever want to return it?”

Kenma shrugged and blushed. “You can renew it.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah…”

A few moments of silence and then, “So, does that mean…”

“Maybe…” Kenma looked over at Kuroo and smiled. “Let’s just take it slow.”

The smile was returned with no hesitation. “Yeah. That sounds good.”

* * *

 

> _Elizabeth’s spirits soon rising to playfulness again, she wanted Mr. Darcy to account for his having ever fallen in love with her. “How could you begin?” said she. “I can comprehend your going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning, but what could set you off in the first place?”_

Kenma didn’t bother to look up from his book when he felt someone’s presence near him. “Hello Akaashi.”

Akaashi hummed, and sat in the chair next to Kenma. “Hello, Kenma-san. You’re looking better.”

Kenma glanced at them in his peripheral vision and shrugged. “Yeah. I guess I’m doing okay.”

Akaashi hummed again. “I can tell.”

“Can you?”

“Yes.”

“And how is that.”

Akaashi’s lips quirked up ever so slightly. “I’ve never known anyone who was allowed to wear Kuroo’s cat slippers except him before.”

Kenma looked down at his feet and blushed. He had been in a rush to leave Kuroo’s dorm for work that evening that he had put on the first pair of shoes he saw—which happened to be the fuzzy cat slippers.

Kenma ducked his head and smiled gently, thinking about Kuroo’s sleeping face and the way he would kiss Kenma’s cheek every morning and the way he would ruffle and play with Kenma’s hair whenever they’re alone. He thought about Kuroo’s laugh and the way he would look at Kenma like he was the only person in the world that mattered. He thought about how Kuroo would tangle their legs together when they were watching a movie and the way he would habitually take Kenma’s hand when they were studying together.

He thought about Kuroo’s fuzzy cat slippers, and curled his toes, feeling warm all over.

“Yeah, well, they’re comfortable.”

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is amedala come say hi


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